- Since Sunday, Mexico is a smoke-free territory. And not only from smoke, but also from the image of this product in any crowded, public or private place.
“Forbidden to forbid” has been a phrase used by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at various times of his government and for various reasons. And this, as his maximum expression of his understanding of freedoms, because he even avoided making the use of face masks mandatory at the height of the pandemic. However, it is fair to “forbidden to prohibit” an expression that summarizes like few others the hypocrisy with which laws and regulations are configured.
You will already know: since last Sunday, all of Mexico is smoke-free territory. And not only from smoke, but also from the image of this product in any crowded, public or private place.
“Article 4 of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States enshrines the human right of every person to the protection of health and a healthy environment for their development and well-being, and establishes that in all decisions and actions of the State and it will comply with the principle of the best interests of the child…”, says what was published in the Official Journal of the Federation to mark the entry into force of the General Tobacco Control Law promoted by the Ministry of Health. “Forbidden to prohibit”, the President says whenever he can, but on this occasion they have eliminated from the daily spectrum not only a habit that appeals, in the absolute, to free will and personality development; they have also cornered a legitimate business that since Sunday must operate in a strange shadow. Its sale will be legal, nothing more that is not seen.
No cigarettes on public roads or spaces with traffic of people. Restaurants, establishments that a few years ago had to adapt terraces, had to remove those square meters from their smoking customers. Grocery and convenience stores will have to hide these products and market them only through a list. A legal market, operating almost illegally, in the dark, where they don’t bother. The authorities say that everything is for the benefit of the health of the youngest. Although historically prohibitionism has never worked when it seeks to avoid any action.
And it is under this idea that the Fourth Transformation promised in 2018 a rigorous debate on the legalization of marijuana. Now we understand why the issue is frozen: they have placed the tobacco industry on ambiguous ground. Just as they did previously with “junk food” advertising. What will be the economic impact of a measure like this? From the macro level to the mini ventures that will no longer be able to sell cigarettes, neither in the newsstand nor on the beaches. The thing is to see how much this affects the habit of the population, will smokers stop being smokers because they are no longer exhibited in the Oxxo? Or a better question: Will health services improve from a prohibitionist law? Because if that is the basis for launching it, we imagine that the government has a detailed route planned for how medical services will scale thanks to these new guidelines. Otherwise, it remains an almost punitive measure (or to enable corruption via bribes) that solves absolutely nothing, but condemns, once again, various productive sectors that do generate economic growth and jobs in the country.
